The BEST Wireless Router

[lancer]

well if they have thats great.... and i totally forgot about 3com, thats all i used to use until i found netgear, shame on me haha

 

[kcnychief]

I am a big fan of the WRT54G myself, really solid hardware.

Muzi, are you sure you want to go with the Pre-N stuff? Last I knew that line was a bit risky as the standards are far from being finalized.

 

[ming]

I am a big fan of the WRT54G myself, really solid hardware.

Muzi, are you sure you want to go with the Pre-N stuff? Last I knew that line was a bit risky as the standards are far from being finalized.

Read that the newer versions are really dodgey, especially V5/6.

 

[kcnychief]

I have deployed many v6 routers without any issues, 4 in the past week alone

 

[ElementalDragon]

Linksys also has a Pre-N router out now...... though i honestly think at this point i'd trust the Belkin..... seeing as how the Belkin Pre-N router has been out for quite a long time (at least a year i think) and has had plenty of time to have possible bugs worked out of it. Plus, the Linksys Pre-N router just looks flat out weird.

 

[LeeJend]

Remember, if you buy a pre-N just don't expect it to ever work at N speeds with any other brand NIC card or laptop with built in wireless.

The reviews I saw this spring on the pre-N hardware were all pretty bad. Nowhere near the range or speed improvements N is supposed to offer.

So don't pick a router based on "N" performance. At this time I'd go with the cheapest "G" I could find and save the rest of the money for N if it ever comes out.

Personal results top to bottom:
Linksys (Pricey)
Netgear
Dlink (wimpy range)

Have not used a 3Com. I think 3Com got bought by one of the other biggies in the last year. They may not be available anymore.

 

[kcnychief]

That's not entirely fair though, as N hasn't officially been approved as a spec. Although there are standards, nothing is set in stone yet and could change if/when it ever gets approved.

Still at least a year off, if not more.

 

[muzikool]

I am a big fan of the WRT54G myself, really solid hardware.

Muzi, are you sure you want to go with the Pre-N stuff? Last I knew that line was a bit risky as the standards are far from being finalized.

Remember, if you buy a pre-N just don't expect it to ever work at N speeds with any other brand NIC card or laptop with built in wireless.

The reviews I saw this spring on the pre-N hardware were all pretty bad. Nowhere near the range or speed improvements N is supposed to offer.

So don't pick a router based on "N" performance. At this time I'd go with the cheapest "G" I could find and save the rest of the money for N if it ever comes out.

Personal results top to bottom:
Linksys (Pricey)
Netgear
Dlink (wimpy range)

Have not used a 3Com. I think 3Com got bought by one of the other biggies in the last year. They may not be available anymore.

That's not entirely fair though, as N hasn't officially been approved as a spec. Although there are standards, nothing is set in stone yet and could change if/when it ever gets approved.

Still at least a year off, if not more.

As I posted on the last page...

Reviews:
PC Magazine Review - 4/5 Stars
Laptop Magazine Review - 4.5/5 Stars (Editor's Choice)
CNET Review - 8.4/10

For those who might say that adopting an unset standard is a bad idea...

Forget all the nonsense about the Belkin Pre-N Router being "non-standard." When it runs faster than everything else, including with regular 802.11b and g clients, and offers triple the range, who cares if the high-speed mode isn't Wi-Fi certified? Certainly not us. It was the first home-oriented router to cover our entire house and yard, with no dead spots. It even gave speedy performance and reliable connections at the farthest reaches, rather than dropping down to snail's pace, as with normal Wi-Fi routers.

Source

 

[kcnychief]

Oh I have read the reviews and know the quality of the product, my personal stand is that I'm just going to stay away from it until the standards are passed. It's kind of like using Vista as a full time OS right now, sure there are pros to it but fact of the matter is I wouldn't use it full time within a production environment at this time.

That, plus you have to purchase compatible wireless cards, whereas if you have a network with laptops already having A/B/G cards, that increases your TCO.

 

[pokerblogger]

Wow! Thanks for all the replies, didn't expect so many opinions.

Given everyone's advice I guess I'll hang onto the WRT54G for a while longer. Seems to still be a favorite.

 

[muzikool]

That, plus you have to purchase compatible wireless cards, whereas if you have a network with laptops already having A/B/G cards, that increases your TCO.

No, you can use your existing card. Buying a Pre-N card only enhances your signal strength across longer distances.

 

[kcnychief]

Wow! Thanks for all the replies, didn't expect so many opinions.

Given everyone's advice I guess I'll hang onto the WRT54G for a while longer. Seems to still be a favorite.

We are a very opinionated bunch here

No, you can use your existing card. Buying a Pre-N card only enhances your signal strength across longer distances.

Bit of a waste of money though isn't it? If you use a A/B/G card with a Pre-N router, you aren't getting the full benefit. That, plus if you have a B and a G device in use, it's all the way down to B and it's even more of a wash for your cash. Better signal strength, but most of the routers I have worked with don't really have those issues anyways.

What's the cost differences on the routers?

 

[answ3r]

Best Wireless Router 2006

Hi,
I am looking for some advice in acquiring a wireless router. The main features I am looking for are:

Speed ( video, music)
Range ( needs to be able to cover distances)
Reliability
Security
Call in one

I have looked into the Belkin pre-n but I would like some advice before I made any decision

Thanks

 

[answ3r]

what is the disadvanatges of getting a belkin pre n
from what i have been reading it seems to cover big distances without too much problems. is this the router to transmit all sorts of data (music, video) over big distances?

 

[Perris Calderon]

Re: Best Wireless Router 2006

take a look here

 

[madmatt]

Threads merged.

 

[Electronic Punk]

http://www.netgear.co.uk/extra/h_rangemaxnext_wirelessbroadbandrouter_dg834n.php

Got it today, still says coming soon tho.
So far so good.

 

[dreamliner77]

Another vote for the WRT54G(S). Yeah, I have the S but I don't use the speedbooster. Just a solid G router. I've updated the firmware 3 times without a hitch.

 

[Mainframeguy]

Re: Best Wireless Router 2006

take a look here

careful now! Can a mod remove this post or else can Perris edit it with a warning, because I am looping here :laugh::cheeky:

 

[acstua]

and yet surprisingly Netgear doesn't allow you to play some games? seriously..... try playing Gunz: The Duel Online with a netgear router..... 99.9% sure you won't be able to..... even in their forums they say Netgear routers and Gunz don't get along. Gunz uses a type of connection that the Netgear router don't support.

um ive played Gunz, admitedly not for long heh, but i played it online and i have a netgear router